Students Want to Make Sure No One is Left Without the Chance to Gain a Post-Secondary Education

OTTAWA, February 13, 2018 – The Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) published a new policy paper today, entitled Access for All: Making Student Aid Work for Everyone. This paper looks at the student financial aid system in Canada and recommends changes to ensure that no student should ever be prevented from obtaining a post-secondary education due to tight finances.

“Those with a post-secondary education not only have generally higher incomes and wider career opportunities, they also use their skills and knowledge to contribute to the country’s labour force and communities in significant ways. That’s why it’s so important that everyone be able to access education, regardless of their financial background,” explains Michael McDonald, CASA’s Executive Director.

The paper highlights areas where more can be done to address financial hardship. This includes increasing the amount of assistance available while in school, reducing the interest rates paid after study, and ensuring that financial aid is delivered when it’s needed. Also addressed is the financial strain that student loan repayment places on many new parents and those relying on employment insurance.

“The solutions we are putting forward to help make post-secondary education more affordable are really quite straightforward, and could make the difference between someone being able to follow their career dreams or not,” continues Mr. McDonald. “We hope that the federal government will recognize this and adjust the financial aid system for the better.”

For more details on the gaps in Canada’s financial aid system and CASA’s recommendations for filling them, please read our full policy paper. The full paper is available to read in PDF format or in an accessible Microsoft Word format.

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About CASA:

Established in 1995, the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) is a non-partisan, not-for-profit, national student organization composed of 22 student associations representing 255,000 post-secondary students from coast to coast. CASA advocates for a Canadian post-secondary education system that is accessible, affordable, innovative, and of the highest quality.